The Hothead Princess and the Green Beast
by JuneGilbertVivianRaeven
Summary: Phoenix Shizuka has never had a normal life. Being best freinds with strong rivals (especially during wartime), and just being a kunoichi in general can do that to you. A certain little bluenette only added to the craziness that is Phoenix's everyday life.However, Phoenix will find that the craziness is just begun. How will she deal with a competition for her love? Read on and see!
1. Chapter 1 Rough First Meeting

The Green Beast and the Hothead Princess

By: Phoenix

Chapter One: Rough First Meeting

"Sakura-sama is NOT lazy! Take that back you pain in the ass!"

"Ha! That Sakura is useless! She couldn't even save her love from his own drive for revenge!"

"Shut up!"

I am sick of this already, and I had just gotten here a few seconds ago.

Why did Lady Tsunade stick me with a team again? Right. I'm "uniquely suited" for this team, even though two of them were chunin already. Apparently, some of the brats still need a mentor to keep them from biting each others' heads off. As a result of this, I now have on my hands two chunin nearly ready to throttle each other, and another who was staring dreamily off into the distance with her Byakugan activated. Ugh. It was like a drug for Ayumu.

I mentally assessed what were supposed to be my new proteges.

Rose Haruno, age sixteen, was cousin to the now famous medical ninja in training Sakura Haruno. While the latter had drive to improve herself, Rose had barely scraped by at the last Chuunin Exams with her previous team before the whole wars mess started. Her long pink hair pulled back into a ponytail high on her head, her ample bosom heaving with fury, the normally laconic kunoichi was now arguing heatedly with Youko. Her normally calm (I assumed that she was normally cool-headed because the profile had listed her so) emerald green eyes were now sparking green fire at the blue-haired kunoichi in front of her. Her hands were waving crazily, and Rose looked ready to kill Youko for insulting her cousin.

Right. That was what this whole mess had started with; I'm taking a shot in the dark since I wasn't witness to it. Youko had to go and shoot her mouth off again about Sakura Haruno. Apparently Rose was very, very touchy about her clan-mates. And the bluenette just HAD to push Rose's buttons.

Youko Shizuka. I almost despaired of making the younger girl listen. She sure doesn't at home, that was for sure, I reflected grouchily. The genin (she didn't pass at the last Chuunin Exams) just loved making my life all the damn harder. I knew her best, as she was my (adopted) daughter. Add that to the fact that no other (sane) jounin would have her, and I was stuck with her on my new team. Youko seemed to take a leaf out of Naruto's book- not the hero of the present time, rather the prankster of bygone days- and I only just managed to confine her antics to the house instead of having them spread like an infectious disease. The bluenette girl had pretty much shown up on my doorstep one day when she was about six years old. I had taken her in, and it had been mayhem in my once peaceful house since.

"FLAT CHESTED BITCH!"

Oh no. Rose had hit upon Youko's only button. And whatta button it was...

Youko screamed right back, "LAZY, WORTHLESS, DAUGHTER OF PIGS! BITCH, WHORE-"

O-kay, I didn't even know Youko knew what a whore was. Must have been one of her previous Senseis who taught her that one.

My eyes finally fell on Ayumu; I had to double check that she could stay out of this competently.

The Hyuuga had her ink-black hair cut in a feathery style that just reached her chin. Her bangs didn't hide the trademark Hyuuga eyes, which now had the Byakugan inherent to all of the Hyuugas active. And she was also gazing off into the distance like a lovesick puppy. Which meant she could only be watching one person on another jounin's team. I sighed. It felt odd to know that Ayumu had a crush on one of my few male acquaintances' (that wasn't an ex) current students. And I didn't know which one. I could hear Guy and Lee yelling about youthfulness just one training ground away, the direction Ayumu was facing.

The argument between my surrogate daughter and her new teammate was reaching fever pitch now; Ayumu didn't even seem perturbed.

Okay.

I didn't know how to deal with more teenagers than Youko at one time (and she was trouble enough). But I did know one way to get their attention.

I wasn't called "Phoenix the Flame Princess" for nothing. Rattling off a few hand signs, I roared, "Phoenix Flower Burst!"

A brilliant crimson flame burst from the ground between Youko and Rose, effectively startling them out of their argument, shaping itself into a lotus flower that curled around both of them.

Both of the girls who had been arguing were staring wide eyed at me, but Ayumu was still in her own little world. I growled inwardly; well, she'd just have to miss the basic self info I provided during this bit. I hoped I could get her attention for the mission though. Letting go of the technique, I breathed a sigh of relief. The pinkette and bluenette were both still staring at me, so it was time to get started.

"Alright. Finally have your attention. If you don't know me, you can call me Shizuka-sensei," I barked, sending a glare at Youko, "That means you too Youko. Let's get introductions out of the way. If you haven't done so already, state your name and any other pertinent details."

Rose grimaced. Youko was sulking, obviously not going to speak up. And Ayumu was still in La-La Land watching Guy's team train.

"O-K... Oi. You with the pink hair. Introduce yourself."

Rose reluctantly drawled out, "Heyy... My name's Haruno Rose. I'm sixteen and wanting to become a jounin soon."

Youko looked like she was about to remark, but I silenced her with a sharp look. Rose fidgeted a minute before elbowing Ayumu. This seemed to snap the Hyuuga out of her love struck daze, because the Byakugan deactivated. Blinking, Ayumu reoriented herself.

"Oh... Is this introductions?"

When no one answered, she plunged ahead.

"Well, my name is Hyuuga Ayumu. I'm a Branch member and am seventeen years old today. I'm very happy to have such a lively team, and I hope we can get along for the forseeable future!"

I resisted the urge to give her an incredulous look. Just how oblivious could a kunoichi get? I pinched the bridge of my nose. Not the time to chew her out for her observational skills. That could wait until introductions were fully and completely over. And my own personal Hell was just beginning...

"Well, my name is Youko Shizuka! I'm Phoenix's daughter so there," Youko bragged, a huge grin on her face, "So that means I'm gonna beat all of you! So there!"

I face palmed. I could already hear the noises of anger and indignation from Rose, who was fumbling for words at her teammate's arrogance. _Youko's favorite phrase has come into play,_ I thought bitterly.

_This was going to be a loooooong training session._

* * *

**_Heyyy :) I know I keep saying I won't publish new fics, but... This one got the better of me. Phoenix and Youko are really pushy. Besides, a freind of mine wanted this posted. Hey Leerawks! :) Now I do have two Guy fics published._**

**_Anyways, hope you enjoy Phoenix and her team's antics. I have a feeling there's gonna be more Rose and Youko shennanigans in future chapters... That is, if you guys want it continued. :) Leave a review to let me know how you feel!  
-June_**


	2. Chapter 2 The Princess and the Beast

The Green Beast and the Hothead Princess

By: Phoenix Shizuka

Chapter Two: The Princess and the Beast

After a long and wearisome day, I dismissed the troublemakers, telling them we would meet here again eight am sharp on the next day. The other two dragged their sore carcasses towards their home. I saw a flicker of hope when Rose helped a shaking Ayumu up, supporting her until they were out of my line of sight. Maybe those two, at least, could cooperate.

My kid, on the other hand...

Youko dawdled, looking at me hopefully with those darn blue eyes that had encouraged me to take that hellion in in the first place. She'd been a lot cuter when she was six and I was eighteen, though.

"Go home Youko. Just go. And try not to set Rose off next training session."

Youko nodded sheepishly, avoiding looking at me. I stalked from the training ground, eager to leave the scene of my first defeat in years. I honestly didn't care where Youko went at that point, as long as she didn't follow me. My feet carried me towards the nearest eatery, Ichirakus. Slipping inside unnoticed amid the usual bustling business of the place, I quietly snagged a bar stool after ordering a beef ramen bowl. Folding my arms and placing them on the table wearily, I plopped my head on top of them.

"Why did I get stuck with a team? THIS team, of all teams? Ugh," I lamented under my breath.

"Having brat trouble, Phoenix?"

I startled, nearly whipping out a kunai until I realized who it was. Moodily putting the kunai away, I berated my silver-haired ex-turned-friend, "Never sneak up on a kunoichi, you dimwit!"

"Your fault for lowering your guard."

I sourly glared at the silver-haired jounin I had grown up with. It hadn't been till later that we'd gotten close, though. As Kakashi phrased it, he'd gotten close when I "filled out".

Yeah, right.

We'd sparred a couple hundred times when we were younger, and without fail I got my ass handed to me. That's what I get for being cocky and going up against a genius. A perverted genius who happens to have been the only man I thought I'd have a chance of a lasting relationship with. Turns out he's just as bad with relationships as I am.

"Shut the hell up, Hatake."

"Language."

"You have no right to talk. Your the one who reads porn like it's the word from Kami!"

"It is!"

This snappish banter continued until I got my ramen bowl. I thanked Ichiraku-sama, who had brought it over himself, and then dug in hungrily. After I had gotten a ways through the bowel, I noticed an odd look on Kakashi's face. Well, what was exposed. That damn mask had always hidden his face, as long as I had known him. He didn't even take it off for intimate acts... Don't ask me how I know that. Seriously. Don't.

He was staring at something other than his stupid little orange book of porno. Kakashi was actually staring at a real-live woman. This wasn't supposed to be odd, especially since he's a damn pervert and he struts it, but... I'd only seen that look on his face once.

It was actually when we were teenagers. I'd caught him looking at a photo of his female teammate, Rin Nohara. The look was almost blank, except for a touch of longing that I had never seen before in his eyes. The odd thing was, she was already dead when he gave the photo that look. Which was what worried me when he looked at the blonde kunoichi like that.

I turned my eyes to her, wondering what caught the eye of the most infamous pervert in Konoha besides the Toad Sage. She was petite, almost fairy-like except for her height. She was at least as tall as Kakashi (something I couldn't claim, much to my annoyance). Her winter sun hair was pulled back from her face in a business-like ponytail, and was oddly long for a kunoichi. Most kunoichi I knew liked short hair; it was less hassle on the battlefield. The few kunoichi I knew that did keep their hair long were, every one of them, badass. The woman's eyes though- they told one of the most interesting stories I'd seen. They were ice blue, with light bags around the bottom. The look was one of weary determination, like someone who'd been on a mission for far too long. She sat at a table near us, but not within earshot. I turned my head back to Kakashi.

He was still staring.

Time to tease him a little...

"New crush, Kakashi-kun?"

Kakashi twitched, then turned so his one visible eye was on me.

"Maa, in your dreams Phoe-chan. I don't date exes."

"Shut up! I meant the girl you were staring at, dobe!"

"... No."

I was a little incredulous at that blatant lie. His eye was blank and calm when he said it, usually meaning that he was concealing something.

"Does she look like one of the girls in that porno you read?"

"No!"

OK, this was definitely odd. Kakashi's visible eye was crinkled in such a manner that I could almost say he was blushing. He hadn't blushed like that in years. Only did that when I caught him peeping at a hot springs...

"Wow. You're embarassed, Kakashi-kun."

"..."

He just took the ramen bowl he had ordered some time ago from the waitress, who was attempting to flirt with him. _Good luck sweetie. He doesn't pay much attention to others when he's eyeing a possible new girlfriend. _I stood, mischief in mind. Before Kakashi could stop me, I ordered a chicken ramen bowl.

"Put it on my tab. Give it to that blonde lady," I said mischievously, "Tell her it's from this guy." To make my point, I slung an arm around Kakashi's shoulders in a chummy fashion.

Ichi-sama's eyes danced as he nodded. He didn't like to admit it, but every so often, he liked meddling in his favorite customers' romantic lives. And, as far as I knew, Kakashi had been a customer ever since the place had been open. I smiled, pleased with my matchmaking attempt.

"Hn."

"Why so serious Kakashi?"

His visible eye rolled, but he couldn't resist looking towards the woman's table. She accepted the gift rather calmly, and after the waitress had left darted a shy glance over towards Kakashi. From the way her pale skin flushed when he returned the look, I realized the attraction was mutual. Smiling silently, I decided I had meddled enough for one day. Paying my tab to Ichi-sama while Kakashi was distracted trying **not **to look at the woman he'd fallen for, I sneaked out silently. Once I was clear, I fist pumped and started walking normally.

This matchmaking business with Kakashi had re-energized me. I was happy again, but deflated quickly when I realized what I had to work with once I got up again. It was amazing how the very thought of those kids fighting in my presence again drained me. I groaned softly. Trying to focus on the encouraging idea of setting up a romance between one of my oldest friends and his new admirer, I didn't notice where my feet carried me. On automatic, I had gone to one of my favorite bars.

The Swinging Crescent bar catered mostly to jounin. BUT. The place did have a particular distinction that the barkeep and partial owner, Ren Kusuragi, loved to brag to everyone he met about. The current Lady Hokage preferred the Crescent above all other places, mostly due to the sake Ren's father had set down. The Kusuragis' livelihood was the buying, selling and maturing of the finest sake known to the Land of Fire. At least, that would be my opinion. And apparently Tsunade's opinion as well, since she frequented the place.

When I peeked in, I could see her in the back, waiting rather impatiently. That golden hair of hers practically glowed, making her rather easy to see even in the bar's semi-dark interior. Grinning slightly, I approached her and sat next to her at her table.

"Hey. Drinking this early?"

"It's after working hours, Phoenix," Tsunade said, golden eyes narrowing irascibly at me.

"Not normally for you, if you'll excuse me Tsunade-san. Made an escape from Shizune?"

"H-how... Never mind..."

I giggled quietly, feeling the tension drain out of my spine again. Teasing her wasn't such a good idea, but she didn't like hitting me. I'd picked up her bar tab -a monstrous expense for me, and only done when she's dead drunk- and had let her crash at my place one too many times. Tsunade may have been more than twenty years my senior, but she was still young in a few ways. She whined like a kid when being woken up after a night boozing, for example.

"Mind if I join you? That team you gave me is driving me up the wall..."

Tsunade's lips quirked in a sadistic grin. Her eyes glinted as she repeated the words she'd used on me earlier, when she had assigned me the damn mission in her office just a day or two ago.

"You're the only jounin free that's capable of handling the girls' kekkai genaki and other problems."  
"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled, scowling, "Just let me at the sake. I need it to sleep tonight. Otherwise I think I'll have nightmares..."

Tsunade chuckled softly, a rich and warm sound.

* * *

**Tsunade's POV**

"Go at it," I told her, just amused to see the red-headed jounin again.

Phoenix was odd in that she didn't seem to take my rank seriously. With all the other jounin, it was always "Tsunade-sama" or "Lady Tsunade". When Phoenix met me outside the office, it was just "Tsunade-san". It was... good to feel comfortable with someone again.

The curvacious kunoichi had met me with little flusterment or bowing and scraping. Instead, she had just studied me with those brown eyes of hers. I felt a little like my soul was being seared, but I looked right back into her eyes, refusing to be cowed. After a moment, she simply bowed her head and greeted me like the other jounin did when I first called them into my office. I could feel her amiable feelings in the air, and it made me feel like I'd won something pretty damn precious. Turns out, I had.

Phoenix had been my consistent drinking buddy since we found each other at the Swinging Crescent a few years ago. As I looked at her, listening with half an ear to her gripes about the team I had stuck her with, I realized she hadn't changed much. Her long deep red hair was still pulled so that it covered one eye, while it was tucked behind the adjacent ear. Phoenix's eyes were the same cocoa brown, and looked a little daydreamy at this point. No doubt she was thinking of the sake to come. Phoenix had grown a little thinner than I had seen her last, accentuating her bust. That thought inevitably brought me back to thoughts of my perverted teammate's antics.

Jiraiya hadn't been back in months.

The old nightmares had come back, the ones of Jiraiya dying in my arms. Yes, stupid for someone who hadn't even been my friend in years past, but... He was the only one left who knew me. I guess you could call him my only male friend. My head knew he was out gathering information on the Akatsuki- vital information for Konoha's benefit- but some place in that heart of mine that he'd rebuilt was worrying about him. Hell, most of me was worrying about the old coot.

When the sake FINALLY arrived, I snatched a bottle before Phoenix could grab it. I knew she liked to drink straight from the bottle, whether or not it was crude. I sighed, and tipped some of my bottle into a cup as Phoenix sipped from her bottle. She was lucky I had ordered two.

After a few hours like this, Phoenix was soused while I was only faintly buzzed. She had a tendency to burn booze out fast, though, so there were disturbingly lucid moments coupled with very very drunk ones. It could really give someone a massive headache.

"Ha ha... Y'know, Tsunade-chaaa, I really worreh about thos' kids... Will they eva' work togetherrr? Youko hates Ro, and Ayumu's on drugs, I swear..."

"It's just a rivalry, and Ayumu Hyuuga is not on drugs," I scolded, thinking _I tested her myself. _

"Stop worrying about the kids. You need to quit drinking. You won't be able to get up on time if you keep this up."

"I don't wanna!"

I groaned quietly. She got very obstinate sometimes after drinking a lot. And she had drunk quite a bit, judging by the six bottles on the table that were hers. I had nine.

Standing up, I resigned myself to taking her home. I mean, it was one way to pay her back for the times she had done this for me. Phoenix looked up at me, confused.

"Why is Tsuni-chan leeeeaving?"

I swatted her on the back of the head. Only one person got to use that nickname. Even if he only used it when absolutely drunk.

"Owwie!"

Now the big brown eyes had teared up. It didn't help that her normally covered eye was showing, adding to the clout of the pout. I sighed, torn between getting roaring drunk and staying, and doing the sensible thing and taking her home.

Fortunately, a certain Green Beast saved me the trouble.

He made his way over, looking so awkward I doubted he'd ever been in a bar before. That was about when Phoenix pounced on me from behind, clutching me around the middle and cuddling up.

"Che-! Phoenix, get off!"

"Don' wanna!"

"Arrrgh!"

Guy smiled sheepishly, seeing our issue.

"Can you get this," I gestured to Phoenix, "Off me? I hear that you two are good friends, so..."  
He chuckled nervously, "I was actually coming to pick her up, Hokage-sama. A tip off from my rival warned me that Phoenix would be in here."

"Good. Now get her off me?"

* * *

**Phoenix's POV**

Admittedly, I was coming in and out of the haze of booze I had indulged in. I felt gentle, large hands separate me from the pillar of warmth I was hanging onto. A protesting noise escaped my throat, until I scented who was holding me. With that, I gave a happy purr and wrapped my arms around his strong neck. Nuzzling amorously into the crook of his neck, I sighed happily.

"She...like...a lot.."

I felt a deep rumble in the chest I was cuddled against as the one who held me spoke.

"We...childhood...Phoenix...Good friend..."

"Doesn't look like it."

The bandaged hands holding me clutched a little tighter, and I felt his heart rate increase. He'd always done that when he was embarassed or feeling shy. He hadn't felt shy in a long time, though. I sighed wistfully.

"We...good friends! Phoenix... Never... me... Goodnight, youthful Lady Hokage."

I didn't have to look to remember the flush that would steal over Tsunade's cheeks whenever someone called her young or beautiful. My brain fogged over again, and my head lolled against his broad shoulder as we headed forward. I knew when we were out of the bar because Guy's heart rate eased when we were. A vague sense of shame crept over me at the realization that Guy had had to retrieve me from a bar yet again.

I slurred my apology, making me wish that I hadn't drunk so much. I seemed to be incapable of controlling my tongue when I had this much booze in my system. I needed to burn it out... now what was that technique again... Right. I needed Guy to put me down beforehand, or he'd be burned too.

"Guy, put me down... I can get rid of the booze that way..."

I felt him sigh, and obligingly set me down. He also caught me again when I teetered. I grinned sheepishly up at him as I drew away for the technique. I didn't have a name for it, but it was pretty effective at ousting the bad effects from alcohol. Rattling off the familiar hand signs, I felt the extreme rush as the fire from my inner core of chakra raced through my system. I released a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding, and tried to take a step forward.

I was caught by Guy as I tipped forward again, nearly hitting the ground. My head spinning, I let Guy pick me up again; he did so effortlessly. Obviously, I wasn't going to win either way. Some inner sense warned me that there wasn't just booze in what I had drunk, but I was too fuzzy to really take this in, _Ugh... Hate this... Shouldn't have gone boozing __at all__... _

"Mmmph..."

Guy sighed. He wasn't doing much talking, which probably meant he was sleepy himself. I sighed softly, leaning my head against his shoulder in the comfortable silence.

"I'm sorry you had to pick me up again. Just... I guess I was having kid jitters... They aren't working together so well yet..."

Guy nodded patiently; I had told him about the team I was getting a day before I actually met them. He had listened while I fretted, and eventually managed to distract me with a visit to an ice cream place.

"Was it really all that bad, Phoenix?"

"Rose and Youko immediately hated each other. Ayumu is," I said, trailing off. Strangely, I didn't want him to know that Ayumu was crushing on one of his students. It would feel... Strange. Too close to what I had felt when we were little.

Guy chuckled, but it sounded like it had lost some of its usual vigor. He only let himself be like this when we were alone. Otherwise, he was the funny, jumpsuit-wearing, youth-loving shinobi everybody else knew. I gently rubbed his shoulder.

"Sore again?"  
Guy sighed, "Just a little tired Phoenix." I knew that was a half-truth. I had tended him after some of the bloodiest training sessions imaginable, where he had pushed himself to his limits and then promptly shattered them, and that would always be all he said. "Just a little tired".

"Stay a bit at my house. Youko'll probably be asleep by now anyways. I worked them all pretty hard the first day."

He didn't really respond, the black eyes a little dim in the lighting. Now I was really worried. Despite the throbbing headache that was starting in the back of my head, I knew he needed me right now. Curling up in his arms, I closed my eyes as he ambled on. Guy, thankfully, remembered that I threw up if he went at his normal speeds. It had probably happened too many times for him to forget, despite his spotty memory.

* * *

**An Hour Later**

I woke up when I felt Guy reach for the key I kept hidden in a little cave in the wall, just under the gutter above my door. Only Guy could really reach it without hopping onto the roof and leaning down, but I still kept it there. It felt like a tribute to my mother, the only one tall enough in our clan to reach the spot where she kept the key to the clan home. Yawning softly, I let Guy open the door and carry me inside. He plonked me onto the couch and I eased into a sitting position. Smiling, I gently patted the seat next to me. He sat down, a slight frown on his face.

"Phoenix-chan, you should sleep..."

"Oh, give it a rest. You know I nag and nag to get what I want. So just let me-" I broke off, a dizzy spell overtaking me again.

"You're getting dizzy again. Phoenix, you need to sleep it off properly," Guy said.

"Oh, fine," I groused softly, not being able to see straight.

Teetering slightly, I managed to stand. Wobbling and weaving as I walked because the backlash of the (now I realized) failed technique or possibly something else, I tried to keep myself from bumping into anything. When I was about out the living room door, I felt Guy's arm snake around my waist and tug backward gently. When my vision focused briefly, I realized I had been about to walk into the door frame. With a quiet groan, I turned to Guy and braced myself on him. He just picked me up again, setting my head to spinning even more.

Closing my eyes, I tried to ignore the urge to throw up. When I couldn't any longer, I urgently tried to tap Guy's shoulder. It sounded more like a smack, but he got the point. He helped me to the bathroom and let me down near the toilet. Guy was also nice enough not to look while I threw up.

* * *

**A Few Minutes Later**

Left exhausted by this episode, I could barely move. Something must have been in that sake... My sluggish mind didn't register that this meant trouble for Tsunade until Guy had almost made it to my room. With a slurred yelp, I realized and tried to make it clear to Guy.

"Guy-somethin'wrong wit sake... Tsuna in trouble! Help 'er!"  
I couldn't hear the reply, because the drug was taking full effect at last. My vision was fading in and out, and the last thing I saw before passing out was Guy's face, creased in a worried frown.

* * *

**Credit this fast update to LeeRawks. What do you think of the drugged sake incident? Of how Guy acts around Phoenix? I mean, this is going on the assumption that Guy can even GET tired... **

**What do you think of how Kakashi and Phoenix act towards one another? What do you think of the allusions to childhood friendship here? Are the boys in character? Please do tell me! Leave a review to tell e whether or not this stunk, is ok, or is cool! :) Point is, leave a review. **

**Leave a review please!  
-June**


	3. Chapter 3 Nightmares and Memories

The Green Beast and the Hothead Princess

By: Phoenix Shizuka

Chapter Three: Nightmares and Dreams

"AAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIEEEEE!"

I snapped awake, heart thudding in my ears. Feeling the familiar heavy moisture in the air, I stumbled up and awake. Checking that I had my mesh armor on, I got up and slipped out my door. Following the shrill screams, I ran down the hall. Youko's room was the last one on the corridor. The one water was seeping out from under the door.

Oh, this was **bad**...

This was the third time in as many days that Youko had woken up screaming. No, she hadn't been on any missions that ended badly. Actually, we were due to receive our first war-related mission today, a month into their training. I had been absent for a week of this because I had been called away for a mission that required my talents; setting fire to an enemy camp, especially with this sort of enemy, was extremely tricky business. Especially when it involved explosives. You had to set it off just right... I'm rambling, dammit.

Heart beating unreasonably fast, I ran up to the door. My bare feet were already soaked from the tiny river coming from under the blue door. Sadness sprung up in me as sure as a well as soon as I saw it.

I whacked open the door to discover Youko in the same predicament as the last two times I had barged in here. The room was eerily lit with blue light, dappling on and off the walls to produce one of the most frighteningly underwater-like effects that I had ever seen. The room was encased in water that flushed out the moment I opened the door, drenching me.

Irascibly, I smoothed my deep red hair out of my eyes and located my daughter. Tentacles of visibly different water were encircling Youko, nearly enveloping her. Her eyes were glowing a cerulean color, and her mouth opened again. The screams were increasing in volume, so I knew I was coming in on the tail end of the nightmare. I took a careful step forward.

With savage precision, a tentacle lashed out and slammed me into the wet wall. I landed with a grunt, holding the spot it had hit. It would bruise up later on, if not start bleeding. I landed on my feet, my head lowered. Raising it and cracking my neck, I smiled grimly.

"Burn away the lies," I sang out, a fiery corona appearing round my hands as I rattled off a familiar technique, "Burn away the dark, burn away the black until the truth appears once more..."

I reached into the water, this time meeting no resistance. In fact, it started to turn to steam when I got close. With one last bone-jarring scream, Youko's eyes opened to their normal sapphire hue. I released the jutsu as she fell into my arms. Youko was sobbing shakily, her normally tanned skin white with remembered fear. She was still crying as I gathered her into my arms, cradling her close.

"Mamma, Daddy, where are you... Onee-san! Onee-san, don't leave me...! Don't die, nooo!"

I just held her, stroking her hair and feeling helpless. I could do nothing to help her but separate her from the water; the water made her visions worse and left her without the will to produce chakra in the morning.

Slowly ceasing to shake, Youko buried her face in my chest. That was when I found the will to speak.

"Youko... Youko, it'll be okay," I murmured, clutching her tighter, "I love you, kid."

She nodded faintly, clutching tightly to me. I petted her hair with one hand, gently. Blinking back weariness, I tried to keep myself awake by going over the events of last week.

Tsunade's sake had indeed been drugged, as later testing proved. Luckily, it had been a drug that Tsunade was not very sensitive to, or she could have been killed. Me, on the other hand...

I wasn't so lucky. I turned out to be fairly sensitive to the toxin, which was why I had spent about three days in the hospital when most drugs would have burned themselves out of my system within the day. My genin and chuunin were going crazy with worry, according to a certain silver-haired jounin. Lucky girls that they were, Kakashi had subbed for me at my request.

When I was lucid enough to ask, anyways. I had gotten back into the tricky game of looking after and training them as if nothing happened- that is, AFTER I got a clean bill of health from Tsunade. She was being particularly finicky because, as she put it, she hated being in debt. Especially to me.

I sighed quietly, guessing right that I would have to sing to get Youko to sleep. There was no end to this in sight otherwise. I could still feel her squirming occasionally, obviously wanting to sleep but too wakeful to do so.

"_Sleep, little pigeon, and fold your wings_

_Little blue pigeon with velvet eyes; Sleep to the singing of mother-bird swinging_

_Swinging the nest where her little one lies. Away out yonder I see a star,_

_Silvery star with a tinkling song; To the soft dew falling I hear it calling _

_Calling and tinkling the night along. In through the window a moonbeam comes,_

_Little gold moonbeam with misty wings; All silently creeping, it asks, "Is she sleeping_

_Sleeping and dreaming while mother sings?" Up from the sea there floats the sob _

_Of the waves that are breaking upon the shore, As though they were groaning in anguish, and moaning_

_Bemoaning the ship that shall come no more. But sleep, little pigeon, and fold your wings,_

_Little blue pigeon with mournful eyes; Am I not singing?_

—_see, I am swinging— _

_Swinging the nest where my darling lies."_

When I ceased, Youko was curled into me, fast asleep. With a sigh, I dried her bed covers with a quick jutsu I had created for drying my own bedclothes when stuff happened. Tucking her in, I managed to do so without waking her. With a soft sigh of relief, I stole from the room.

I tottered slightly as I headed back to bed. Tonight had been a rough night. Again. I felt battered and exhausted, but relieved that at least one of us would be awake in the morning. _If Guy were in my place, he'd be up and about at the same time in the morning as usual._ I smirked faintly as the thought drifted into my head. If Guy had been in my place, he wouldn't have had an idea what to do with Youko.

He wasn't as great with kids as he appeared sometimes. I still remembered the first time he helped me baby-sit for one of my clanmembers before... Well, before.

* * *

**_Memory Start_**

_Guy was walking beside me, looking a little uneasy. We were thirteen or so, still fighting the war, but we found our own ways to relax. However, this wasn't one of those times. I had beggared him into helping me babysit Taka, one of my little cousins. He was... legendary for his trouble making ways in our clan._

"_Oh, relax, Guy! This'll be a piece of cake with you in the picture," I said, smiling, "Taka loves having guys around, but he'll probably pester you into playing shinobi with him."_

_Taka wasn't old enough to be a shinobi yet, but he seemed already deeply entrenched in our clan's nindo: never stop fighting for the will of fire. _

_Guy grinned one of those big, sparkly smiles and said, "I'll consider it training for when I have my own students one day!"_

_I laughed, wanting to cover the fact that I didn't think Guy would get students. He was the type to be a hero... The dead kind. He had a heart of gold that tended to bleed for the smallest causes. My childhood friend might have been strange to the rest of Konohagakure, but his quirks just made him interesting. The rest of the world was boring by comparison, I decided as I let him into the compound. _

_Then, it was a place that thrived with life. Our signature summons, eagles primarily and battling birds of all kinds, flew all over the compound and people were running after them. Despite us being a private clan to the outside world, there was always something going on in the central clan home. Joking, a fight (or several), a marriage, relatives visiting, a birth; even death was celebrated here. Death normally meant that someone had died in honor, defending the Hokage as our birthright was to be forever more._

"_GUY-SAMA GUY-SAMA!"_

_Taka raced out, stumbling over a cobblestone and then promptly pouncing on Guy. Guy laughed boisterously and I left them to their playful chattering. I smiled a little as I headed for the spot I had made for my summon. He wasn't an ordinary summon, as he had no home to return to and thus stayed with me. Beyond that... Well, there's a reason I was named what I am, I reflected smugly as I headed to Benny's perch area. _

_It was well appointed, as he had a whole tree to himself, a young and strong oak. He was asleep, head under glorious red and golden wing. I grinned, and promptly side kicked the tree. With a most inglorious squawk, my summon woke up. _

"_Why the H&%% did you do that you impudent hatchling?!"_

_"Oh calm your beak Benny. It's my way of saying hello. Remember?"_

_Grumbling, the richly plumaged bird shuffled his wings and flew to my shoulders. He landed and affectionately nipped my ear. His swanlike neck straightened as he focused in on something far off. _

"_That green boy. He is playing with one of the flock's hatchlings again. He looks like a snake," Benny muttered suspiciously. _

"_That's Guy. Don't you remember him? He comes over a lot."_

_"Still looks like a snake, in that ridiculous green leotard of his."_

_Still arguing, we made our way towards the two. Guy was "sparring" with Taka, who was doing most of the attempted hitting. I smiled at the two, knowing Guy was going easy on Taka. He had always been like that- gentle to the young, gentle to all who hadn't made themselves enemies of Konohagakure. _

* * *

_Memory End _

I yawned tiredly, making it to bed at last. Flopping into bed in my wet nightclothes, I couldn't seem to care that I would probably catch something like this. I was too damn tired to even care to finish the memory, which had flitted away from me on moonlight wings.

I never even noticed the tentacle shaped bruise start to bleed.

* * *

_Nightmare_

* * *

_**They were all dying. Dying too fast for us to even bury them properly. Me and the few clan members that were still not sickened by the illness were hard pressed to care for the living, much less the dead. My legs were aching as I ran back and forth, checking on one room after another. Mother and Father had already succumbed, and Taka seemed to be next. My parents had been among the few that we managed to bury properly. The others stunk up the clan compound. **_

_**We moved as many as possible to one certain spot, so the sick would not smell the dead and panic even worse. Our clan home was under quarantine, no one allowed in or out. The madness brought on by the disease was slowly eroding the sanity of all those still alive. I had to put down several of my clan-mates already to stop them from spreading the disease.**_

_**No one had been able to identify the toxin that caused it. Without the right medical ninja at our place, we were doomed. Last I had heard, the medical ninja were working on it, but the cure would not come in time to save much of my clan-mates. As time progressed, I became affected by the madness as well. Seeing things that weren't there, hearing things that weren't real, and here was where the memory blurs. The next thing I knew, I was staring up at a horrified looking pack of ANBU ninja. When I looked around, I didn't even bat an eyelash at the carnage that someone- something- had caused. **_

_**Eyes, limbs, feet, hands, parts of my clanmates were scattered all around the courtyard. All parts were charred, but un evaporated was the bloodstains around the courtyard. Everything was soaked in blood, from the trees to the ground to the very walls of the mansion. When I saw where their graves had been- mother, father- they were empty. The shock was great, and, for the second time, I ended up unleashing the fire that had killed once before. With a scream tearing from my lips, a wave of flames blasted from some center point, blinding me and sending all into blackness... **_

* * *

**Nightmare End**

I woke with a painful jerk. Looking down, I saw the spreading blood and moaned. Crumpling over, I pressed my hand close to the bleeding cut. Heating my hand, I let the cut heal underneath the white sheet. I had thankfully kicked off the rest of the blankets before I had bled too much into them. Wincing, I peeled off the sheet. The cut was red and raw- reminding me of the day the clan home had been bathed in blood, and the same day when parts of the structure had been destroyed by fire. My fire, a cry of pain against all that I had lost. Shaking my head and shuddering, I staggered to my feet.

Managing to get to the bathroom, I mechanically cleaned the cut and treated it. This was one of the first times that that memory had come back to haunt me. Mostly, I had managed to block the memory of that day, but I knew that all of my clan besides me had perished that day. Remembering the details HURT.

Coughing painfully, I felt my stomach wrench upon remembering the body parts in that nightmare. I couldn't help it; I threw up promptly.

* * *

**A Couple Minutes Later**

When I finished, I managed to sit on the toilet, shaking and sick to my stomach still. I grabbed the bandages with shaking hands, and managed to pass a few rolls around my toned stomach to stop the bleeding. I felt a bit better when I managed this, but remained down until I knew I'd be safe to stand. Standing shakily, I managed to make it over to the sink, and I reached under it for cleaning supplies. Cleaning on autopilot, I remembered who had helped me snap out of the shock and grief induced by losing almost everything I held dear within a month of my seventeenth year of life.

Maito Guy.

He had been there the whole time- visiting me in the hospital, even as I learned later that he hated hospitals. He gave me the will to fight again. His smiles, his chuckles, however uneasy at times, reminded me painfully of when things were normal. But what had gotten me the most fired up to become stronger again was his own private mourning for my family. I had walked up to the training grounds that Guy and Kakashi used for their sparring, and found only Guy there. I remained quiet because he was doing something that I found rather strange. It looked like he was having a one sided fight, shadowboxing the air.

When I recognized the fighting style, tears started to drip from my eyes. It was TAKA'S fighting style. The one he had started to develop before... Before the disease. I covered my mouth and couldn't help crying, even when I heard quiet footsteps behind me. Slender male arms pulled me into a hug.

"_That's how he mourns. Guy isn't so great with faces, but he remembers every move of a taijutsu style. It's his memorial to Taka and your family. You too, for what you suffered. He did the same thing for Obito." _

Kakashi's husky voice had mesmerized me, but Guy's movements had also remained burned into my mind as I watched him. His body had grown from the young, skinny boy I had first met. I could see him crying, a tear or two rolling down his face as he worked. But never once did he falter. Never once did he deviate from the kata until it was done.

Then, he was over with us, his presence almost overwhelming. He reached his arms out, still a gangly teen with the funny looking haircut and big eyebrows, but more of a man than I'd seen in weeks. I'd seen grown men beg for death, heard men scream in the agony of their death throes. That was when I came to the realization that Guy would never do that. No matter the pain, he'd endure.

With a wailing cry, I started to cry afresh at the sight. Guy looked confused for a moment, but after looking at Kakashi just enveloped the other side of me in a hug.

Blinking, I shook myself out of memory world. I had cleaned the toilet to the point it almost sparkled. Laughing a little at myself, I shook my head and went to change my clothes. I'd feel better out of the clothes I'd had the nightmare in.

It was over. That was what mattered. By pure stubbornness and the generosity of some other clans, I had managed to raise the money to restore the important structures that had been destroyed by the flames. Some of it still lay in ruins to this day, but I left those ashes on purpose. They were a memorial to my family that way. I sighed quietly, standing up and moving downstairs.

I wouldn't be able to sleep without this little ritual of mine, I knew. Moving to the living area, I lit the fireplace with actual matches and tinder. I knew the fire wouldn't rage out of control- symbols at the grate prevented it. I lived primarily in the Western house at the front of the land, the Japanese structure being much further back and MUCH larger. The two-floored Western house was more convenient now that my "family" was so small, consisting of just Youko and me. This had been where our caretakers lived before the disease had taken hold of my clan.

Wrapping the blanket tightly around myself, I laid down on the sofa. Staring at the flames, I slowly unwound. Moments later, I was fast asleep, cradled in the warmth of the flames.

* * *

**Wowie, that was angsty... The lullaby was actually a Japanese lullaby translated to English. And the little ditty Phoenix used when she cleared away the water- that was just a ditty. No importance whatsoever except to my characters. **

**What do you think of the memory scenes? This reveals a little more of Phoenix's life BC Youko. This is why the clan home is empty, and has lain empty for seven years. Will this year be the year that the bleak future of the once prosperous Shizukas will be reversed by the only clan member still known to be alive? Will Phoenix succumb to the madness and disease that took her clan from her, or will she be the rebirth promised by her name? And whatever happened to Benny the phoenix (any ideas)? What do you think of this dark twist to the normally happy tale? **

**Leave a review to tell me! :) **

**Other news: School will be starting again for me in just a week. When it starts, I will try to sync the updates of this fic with the newly re-inspired Fragile Butterfly. And, hopefully, those updates will be at least monthly. If not more. **

**Love, hugs, and cookies to all who review! **

**-June**


	4. Chapter 4 Mission Time!

The Green Beast and the Hothead Princess

By: Phoenix Shizuka

Chapter Four: Mission Time!

I slept deeply after my nightmare. Who knew that good sleep follows bad sleep?

Needless to say, I was irritated when Youko woke me up by tromping down the stairs. _For a ninja, that gaki can be INCREDIBLY loud,_ I thought irritatedly as I sat up. My hair was a mess as I staggered towards the bathroom, getting myself together. I was alright, despite the blood I lost last night. Apparently I had slept off the chakra use, I thought sleepily as I ran a brush through my hair.

After I managed to get myself together enough to be presentable to the outside world, I exited the bathroom and grabbed a bagel from the batch Youko had apparently toasted. Despite specializing in water moves, she was alright with a toaster. After a few hundred mishaps that involved me buying a new toaster nine times out of ten, though.

Walking out of the house, trusting Youko to find her own way to the training ground, I sped along after climbing up onto the roofs when I was a little further into town. Unfortunately, the training spot we had was on the other side of the village, near Kakashi's favored training ground. Well, it had once been the Sannin's training ground too, so it had started to get a nickname. "Training Ground of Greatness", I believe it was. It made sense, since three of the greatest teams ever seen in Konohagakure were trained there.

I sighed in relief when I heard the silence of our the training ground. Then I remembered quiet was never a good thing when MY squad was concerned. Racing toward it, I balked when I realized it was empty. The training poles, taller than the ones at Kakashi's place, still bore the scars of yesterday's training. The cleared ground was completely deserted.

"Oooouuurgh! Those kids are going to get it once they get here! I said eight oclock sharp, and they're supposed to wait for their sensei to get started," I fumed, searching in case of a genjutsu.

"Ph-phoenix-sama?"

I jumped, whirling around to see a flustered looking Hinata Hyuuga. After calming a bit, she asked, "Ayu-chan told me that you'd be meeting at the bottom of the Hokage tower today, so why are you here?"

I facepalmed. Trust a nightmare to drive that from my mind.

"Thanks Hinata-san. I've got to go... I better not let Youko think I've gone and pulled a Kakashi..." Meaning, _I got lost on The Road of Life. _When I totally hadn't.

Hinata waved as I took off. The kid was nice, and I knew her from a mission she and I had shared. She had been my Hyuuga look-out while I trashed an enemy campsite once. As I remember, she had one badass Twin Lion Fists. Running swiftly across the town, I hopped rooftops to speed my progress. Hopefully nobody would be mad (or prod me) about being late...

I skidded to a stop ten feet from the tower, relieved to see my team. Rose was ignoring Youko, who was doing the same to rose. Ayumu seemed mouse quiet as usual, although she didn't have her Byakugan on. I caught my breath, then strolled up to them as if I hadn't just been running at a breakneck speed to get here before I was late.

"Mamma, you're late..." _Dammit Youko. _

"So what? You were too, Baka."

"Don't call me stupid!"

They lunged at each other. I sighed, grabbing both by the scruffs and holding them separate. When this business had been going on far too long for my liking, I snapped, "SHUT UP, you little idiots! Don't you dare shame each other and this team when we get our assignment!"

Rose and Youko stopped squirming, and just glared at each other. I sighed in relief, allowing them to get loose. They walked on either side of me as I walked to the line to receive missions from either Lady Hokage or Iruka-kun. I had a sneaking suspicion that I would get mine directly from the Hokage today.

Just as I suspected, we were directed up into the Hokage's office. Youko was practically dancing with excitement, Ayumu looked nervous, and Rose was just... Rose just was. I proceeded into the Hokage's office, using A LOT of effort to remain calm as Tsunade sat before us, hands pressed together. She had that look of a tiger in her eyes.

"Phoenix, Team 12. Your mission today will involve assisting another team in their mission to escort the daughter of a respected citizen of the Fire Country to her new home."

Well, it was better than they could have expected before the war. But I wondered who was the subject of the mission exactly if a team of two chuunin and one genin were assigned to it, even if another, more experienced team came into the picture.

"You will accompany Team Guy."

I froze. What the hell? Why...

Argh. I noticed the devious gleam in Tsunade's eyes- she was attempting to play the matchmaking game! I didn't understand why she picked Guy and I to be the subject of her meddling, though... Guy and I were merely good friends.

Kakashi and I might have been exes, but I had too much respect for Guy to ask him out. He was self-made, after all. Only his own drive had made him the ninja he was today; he had no advantages like the clan ninja who had both clanmates and sometimes kekkai genkai to help them along. Well, he had had the Shizuka clan backing him... When they were still there, but afterwards, when it was only me carrying on the Shizuka name...

Shaking my head to clear it, I bowed, "Yes, my Lady."

All three girls bowed as well, Ayumu blushing deeply. She obviously was excited to know her crush would be along on her first war related mission. I sighed softly, watching my two most troublesome students with half an eye as Tsunade debriefed us. The target of the guardianship was a Fire Land noble's daughter, and her parents had paid for two ninja teams. A certain team had been specifically requested- Team Guy. Since the girl's parents were directly related to the Fire Daimyo, AND the kid was the heir to the throne to boot, Konohagakure had a vested interest in keeping her safe, especially with the Shinobi War going on.

There was an underlying message as she detailed the mission; if this kid, practically the heir to the Land of Fire's throne, fell into the Akatsuki hands, disaster would result. From the confused looks on my kids' faces, I guessed none of them had come upon this conclusion. I knew that my kids had some of the most powerful kekkai genkais I had ever encountered, but... They were still kids. And wouldn't Naruto have been a better choice if this kid was so important?

I smelled a rat. A big, fat and disgusting rat.

But who was I to argue with the Hokage? One of the clans that directly guarded the Shodai and Nidaime Hokages. Even the Sandaime had had guards pulled directly from our ranks. The Yondaime's term had been so short as to not need one, as well as the fact that he refused to take a guard. The Godaime seemed to be following in his footsteps in that she preferred ANBU as guards to me... Admittedly she did need more guards than just me... _Kami what is WRONG with me and spacing out today? _

We were sheperded out of the room, and Youko instantly whooped in delight when we were out of the room.

"YAHOO! We've got a mission, we've got a mission, we've-"

"SHUT UP you annoying loudmouth!"

I separated them again as I dragged both by the scruff out of the Hokage Tower.

"Okay. You heard the Lady Hokage- we have two hours to pack and prepare before sundown. Bring sensible clothes, tell your parents that the mission will last a month at least and nothing else, and make sure to pack the usual weaponry. I'll have a small supply pack for each of you, so be prepared to take that into account. Got it everyone?"

"Hai!"

"Hai, Sensei!"

"Yes Mom..."

_I'll have to work on her politeness later, _I mentally sighed. Clapping my hands together, I declared, "Alright then, dismissed."

Rose took Ayumu's hand, and they both headed off in the direction of the Hyuuga compound. I started off toward my compound, and Youko padded in my wake. We walked in silence, Youko skipping ahead after a few minutes. I watched her, her blue hair swinging freely. I mean, she used clips to keep the front part out of her eyes, but didn't mess with the back.

As a result, unless I caught her beforehand, she often looked scruffy from the back. Her skin, tanned from her long walks outside, was slightly sweaty already. I shook my head, smiling at the thought that Rose and she had probably sparred before I got here. That meant she was either mature enough to stop it before I got there or Ayumu intervened. Somehow I doubted the Hyuuga had stepped in, but the other alternative was equally unlikely...

Sighing, I trotted to catch up and rehashed the information that Lady Hokage had given us. In two hours, we were to head to the village gates, where we would meet up with Guy and his team to start off to Ponto Town, seven days journey if we traveled light and fast. We'd be meeting this Princess at Marine 7 dock, with her dressed incognito so as to not attract attention. She had been in foster care in a remote island village, raised without knowledge of her heritage but mannered all the same. Lady Tsunade doubted the court mannered bit, as Honshi Island wasn't known for its courts.

"Mama, look! A butterfly!"

I looked up, and spotted her chasing a bright yellow butterfly. Just a flower butterfly, the rational part of my mind identified. The other part of me felt a pang. She could still see the beauty in things. Despite how her parents had passed- violently, from the sound of her nightmares. I knew nothing of her life before me, and yet I had watched her grow up. Watched her eventually victorious struggle with bullies, cheered in her triumphs, comforted her in her tears... _But the biggest growing up was yet to come, _I thought numbly.

Youko had never seen comrades die.

That may be why Rose and Youko never got along. Rose had contempt for what she would never have again- innocence.

Rose came from a team that had been slain early in the war, soon after the last Chuunin Exams. Her boy teammates were brutally murdered in front of her, and her Sensei... Fuuko, if I remember right... Had been tortured for information by the Akatsuki. Rose had only gotten out alive because one of the Akatsuki members had...

Well, used her then dropped her. She was lucky she hadn't concieved.

Rose had been a gibbering wreck when she was found by the ANBU. She slipped in and out of a coma-like state until one day, for inexplicable reasons according to the medics, she was found training with kunai in the hospital garden. She's gotten up a facade of normalcy by now, but no jounin would touch her for a student. Tsunade had been having trouble finding a jounin who even could take her on as a student, considering her psychological damage. The race had come down to me, with the psychologically damaged daughter, or Kakashi, who had his own issues. When it was discovered Rose had a fear of men after the incident, it was no contest.

Ayumu Hyuuga, on the other hand, was an enigma. To everyone, she seemed to be no more than the run of the mill branch member of the Hyuuga clan. The only thing that stood out, on the surface, was that she and Rose had been childhood friends. Ayumu was quiet and tended to daydream, but what told me there was more to her was this: when her best friend was found after a yearlong absence, she never strayed from visiting Rose.

Rain, snow, or shine, Ayumu was there for Rose at exactly eight in the morning for a short visit, then at three in the afternoon for a longer one. The odd thing was, she seemed to show up even when she was supposed to be away on a mission. That frightened some of the hospital people, but they soon got used to it.

As far as the records show, Ayumu never did anything but sit in a hospital chair and stare at Rose. Sometimes she would bring a book, but always read it to herself. She was perfectly polite to the nurses and doctors, who as a result let her stay longer than any other visitor was allowed. After two years worth of these visits, Rose was found training in the hospital garden with the ever watchful Ayumu by her side, smiling widely for the first time since the day Rose was found.

Despite her sweet and dreamy demeanor, I had a feeling that this chuunin was hiding something. Holding back her true potential. Like every one of my first students. Rose, talent suppressed because of all she had suffered. Ayumu, hiding in the shadows too much even for a ninja to bear. Youko... A Kekkai Genkai that activated at the worst times and hid itself when it should have been out.

Shaking my head at my own odd streak, musing on my kids so long, I came back to myself to realize Youko was staring at me. We had long ago reached the house, and I was the only one who had the key and/or knew where the spare was. I blushed faintly, embarrassed at my introspective streak.

"Mom...?"

"I'm fine. Let's get inside."

And with that, we went to prepare.

* * *

**Hey :) I forgot to say, thanks to my guest reviewer in chapter three! Thanks, Guest! :3 Please review this story if you're reading it, people! I need the feedback to craft this story better. Plus, reviews usually encourage me to update more :) And thanks to LeeRawks for return reviewing again and again :D You guys are the reason I write! **

**On to the questions: What did you think of Rose's history? The implicit rape? Ayumu's steady devotion to her friend in her time of trouble? What do you think of the tidbits revealed about Youko? How did this plot twist affect your opinions of of each character? I want to know! **

**Love, hugs and virtual cookies to everyone who reviews! **

**-June**


	5. Chapter 5 Mission Time! (For Real)

The Green Beast and the Hothead Princess

By: Phoenix Shizuka

Chapter Five: Real Mission Time (I Promise!)

Youko and I walked towards the village gates, medium sized packs on our backs at noon. I took a deep breath, feeling odd flutters in my stomach. I wasn't too sure whether it was actually nerves about my team's first incredibly huge mission, or about seeing Guy. I hadn't had much time to spend with him after that one drinking incident- although he did visit occasionally while I was laid up in the hospital.

Kakashi, on the other hand, spent most of his days that he wasn't away on missions with me. I had a feeling he really needed the companionship because his students had grown up, and left him for other teachers. To be truthful, I hoped that I never got this variation of empty nest syndrome.

I hadn't had much time to research the girl in the ramen shop, though. If Kakashi had been looking her up in his spare time, I never got the memo. The idea was still driving me crazy- Kakashi liking a girl and not going for her. Or at least being curious about her and not going after her.

_Argh, he's driving me batty. __Maybe it's intentional? I swear, he loves to mess with people's heads... _

I snapped back into focus when I heard Guy's boisterous greeting, "Hello, Phoenix! It's good to see you during this youthful sunset!"

I smiled crookedly, "Glad to see you too, Guy."

_Glad you're in better shape than last time I saw you, too. _

"You know Guy-sensei?"

This question came from a willowy brunette with her hair in twin buns.

"Yes, I do. Let's get moving while the introductions are made, shall we?"

Ever the energetic one, Guy started off at the head of us, beaming with what looked like a miniature, younger version of him by his side.

"Greetings, Neji-sama," Ayumu murmured politely, ducking her head.

"And you're... Right. Cousin Ayumu," Neji returned, "Good to see you out of the compound."

Youko darted ahead to strike up a conversation with the only female in the area, but Rose remained at my side. Apparently determined to stick to me like glue, especially since her unease was practically palpable.

I remained silent by Rose's side. She hung her head a little lower every minute, and kept fidgeting as she did.

"What's wrong?"

I asked in a quiet undertone, intentionally falling behind the rest. Rose looked up at me, startled green eyes meeting my own steady (I hoped) brown pair. She looked away after only a few seconds, and muttered, "I'mjustnervousaroundguyslikehim... Weird. It's like he isn't even human..."

"Too hyper for your taste?"

An emphatic nod.

"Guy's always been like that. Happy go lucky and a little silly," I said, not wanting to blow Guy's serious side-she'd figure it out in time-, "He's one of my childhood friends. He's also been an uncle to Youko her entire life." _With me, anyways._

Youko was now proving my point by goofing off with Guy, just as hyper as he was with her first chance to get outside the village walls. I giggled as Rose just groaned.

"You'll learn to take him in stride, Rose, I promise. He's a really good guy."

She mumbled something that I didn't catch, as I was automatically walking a little faster to keep up with Guy. She trotted ahead, but made sure to stay away from the males in Guy's squad- making a special point to stay away from Guy himself.

We walked in that manner for several hours, until even the more experienced team of chuunin were lagging. Well, all except for Guy and Lee, who I had snagged the name of from the taciturn Hyuuga member of Guy's cell.

I sped forward, catching up to Guy at a slightly stumbling jog, "Guy, all three of my kids are tiring. Are we near the wayhouse along this way?"

"Yes, indeed my beautiful young friend!"

I grinned crookedly, "Aww, shucks, you're making me blush." To my surprise, I realized I really was blushing a bit.

Guy just gave me a sparkly-toothed grin, and I smiled back. For once, it felt like we were the only two in our world again.

* * *

_**Ayumu's POV**_

I watched my Sensei and Neji's sensei in silence. They didn't seem to notice me, chatting and in their own little world. It made me wonder... Wonder if Phoenix-sensei liked Neji's Guy-sensei. I cocked my head, watching them intently.

Phoenix's body language denotated complete ease beside Guy. Her smiles seemed easier and freer around the man. She also wasn't heckling us about technique, for once. Phoenix-sensei had worked us all hard since we came into her care. But, for all her strictness, Phoenix-sensei had a gentler side. For example, she took us all for ice cream after hours in the hot sun picking weeds. And she worked with us, where most jounin refused to stoop to tasks this menial. In return, though, she demanded that we not use clones to pick the weeds faster.

Her laughter spread out, ringing like golden bells along with Guy-sensei's louder bray. I winced a little; now I understood what Cousin Neji had been grousing about when he first received Guy-Sensei as a Sensei.

"She's really happy with Guy, isn't she?"

I jumped, blushing when I saw the brunette woman beside me.

"Uh, h-hi, um..."

"Tenten. And you're one of Neji's clanmates, aren't you?"

"Ehe, it's a little obvious..."

"Yeah, I know. But what do you think about those two?"

"Th-think?"

"Oh nothing," Tenten muttered, shaking her head, "It must be Sakura and Ino getting to me. They've got matchmaking fever back in Konoha."

"Matchmaking fever- oh~!"

It had finally dawned on me what she was talking about, "No, they're just good friends. Childhood friends, actually."

I had heard her when she explained to Tenten. Lee was now talking at Neji animatedly- my cousin looking fairly uncomfortable.

"Then why didn't he introduce us to her?" Tenten looked like she had a touch of sour grapes, "I mean, we are HIS students..."

"I don't know. Maybe you can ask him?"

"Knowing him, it's a completely arbitrary reason anyways," Tenten sighed, "Well, nice talking to you, anyway, er-"

"Hyuuga Ayumu."

"Ayumu," Tenten said with an embarrassed smile. She scat quickly enough, leaving me free to gaze on Lee for the first time in a while without my Byakugan on.

* * *

**Phoenix's POV**

I couldn't suppress a yawn. Things had been tiring- we hadn't made it as far as we should have done, but we had made good time. Just not great. Youko was on a stump, moaning about blistered feet softly; Rose was taking a drink from the canteens we'd packed, gulping thirstily; Ayumu seemed content to gaze at a rather uncomfortable Lee, and Guy was doing his best at getting things together for an evening meal. I took pity on my friend and his student, joining them.

"Let's use the provision packs tonight, alright? We can restock if we need to, there's plenty of towns ahead on our road."

Guy nodded in agreement. The kids seemed to take our word, and they started rummaging in the provision packs.

I told Guy to get a fire started -even if I was better at it I had to conserve my chakra, just in case- and Tenten and I started up a stew made from different ingreidients I had brought, and put into my kids' supply packs. Each one of my kids as well as the others contributed at least a single ingredient. Which ended up making a pretty decent stew, if I do say so myself. I ladled it out, exchanging snippets of conversation with Guy's kids and my own.

As I ate, I noticed Guy's easy interaction with his own kids, and a little all around awkwardness with everyone else. Besides me, of course. I laughed when he joked, winced when it was a really bad one, but started to slip into my own little world. Would I die on this mission? I shook that thought off as silly and morbid. Then again, no kunoichi knows when her number will be up. Nor the number of the one she loves with all her heart.

I didn't even know who I loved like that. I had every other sort of love in my life, and I shouldn't be greedy... Shouldn't crave what I don't have.

There was Youko, who I loved like a daughter. Hell, she was my daughter in all but blood. I tried not to stare, but my mind went over her in my memory anyways. The tanned skin, her laughter like clanging bells, the sky blue eyes, her ear-to-ear smile, the ocean colored hair, her tendencies towards mischeif... The information was processed in seconds, and yet my mind lingered on each. Maybe I was being stupid. But a bad feeling hung over camp tonight, and no one seemed to notice but me.

My students were a different kind of love. Well, sort of. I hadn't gotten to know them as much as they had gotten to know each other. And, as I watched, I noted Ayumu and Rose's sisterly interactions... I felt a little worried when I noticed Youko was left out. But with her occasionally putting in her two cents anyways, despite Rose's obvious annoyance, I didn't worry too much.

There was Guy. I looked at him, easily talking and laughing with my students after a mere hour of talking to them. Rose was still being a wallflower, but I heard Ayumu's laughter for the first time. My eyes focused on tracing the planes of his face, so changed and yet unchanged from when he was a child or a gawky teen. It was almost as if he were chiseled from stone, and yet from water, his expression changed so much so fast. I smiled a little, watching him intently. He didn't seem to notice- too busy talking with the kids.

What I didn't notice was his brief glance my way when I checked on Youko again.

Eventually, the genin got drowsy. They received a fair bit of teasing from their elders for grousing about sore feet. The grousing had been mostly Youko, who had dozed off on top of her sleeping bag a while ago. Rose was still up, but looked bleary eyed. Ayumu was curled up like a cat on her sleeping bag, long asleep. Guy's kids were getting out their sleeping gear.

"I'll take first watch, everyone," I said, taking a position where I had a view of everyone's sleeping spots. Even if I was half asleep already, tired from walking with Guy half the afternoon and forcing myself to stay in the rearguard the other half. It had been too long since I spent any real time with Guy.

"Don't worry, Phoenix. I can take first watch," Guy said, grinning a bit at me.

Too sleepy myself to argue, I nodded and positioned my sleeping bag elsewhere. Siding inside, I curled up without looking over the kids. They could look after one another for one night, and I'd wake up if anything serious happened. I trusted them to wake me up if things got out of hand.

Yawning softly, I closed my eyes. My last sight was of the campsite- six sleeping bags, and one Green Beast.

* * *

Dream Begin

_**A little three year old stood in the rain, blood red hair plastered to her face. She gazed unhappily around the streets of the unfamilliar village. It was her home, but she hadn't been out in it too often. She was only three, after all. She had gotten lost again. Trying to get the hair out of her face, she slicked it back. **_

_**Now she could see better, but everything was still dark. She wandered around, hoping to find her Mommy. Her Mommy, with the warm brown eyes and always smelling of baking cookies. She had lost her Mommy in the marketplace, but didn't know where the marketplace with all the funny smells even was... With an upset sigh, she wandered into a back alley. **_

_**Her soft, chocolatey brown eyes widened in shock at the scene she saw before her. A big man stood in front of a corpse, slitting the head off with a kunai. A little sob escaped her as she staggered backwards, and she tripped. It made a loud clang as she sat down hard on her expensive kimono. Mommy would be so mad! She hated it when the little girl's kimonos got dirty. **_

_**The big man turned, and she had to stifle a shriek. The bigger man was covered in blood, with the uniform of a Konoha ninja. He looked shocked to see her there, with his somewhat white hair stained in red. His black eyes looked up and down the girl, recognizing the logo on her kimono. **_

"_**How did a Shizuka clan brat end up here," the big, pale man wondered, advancing on the terrorstruck girl, "No matter. She'll be nice for ransom when I finally leave this place..." **_

_**He made a grab for her when a big black and green blur bulled into him. Such was the surprise of the attack that the man was knocked back into a nearby wall. The big figures continued to grapple in front of the small, fearful girl. A small, pawlike hand grabbed the little girl's delicate digits, and pulled her up to run. **_

"_**Let's run!"  
**_

_**The child was grateful someone was there to rescue her. She hustled after him, running awkwardly in her long, draping kimono until her rescuer stopped abruptly. She knocked into him, knocking them both over.  
**_

_**"Ooof!" **_

"_**Ow!"**_

_**When they untangled from each other, she was facing a small, scruffy child about a year older than her. He wore a very dirty green shirt and practical pants. He was also just as wet as she felt, his hair plastered to his head in a funny shape- like someone had cut his hair to the shape of a bowl. He grinned at the girl, who was only just starting to realize that this black haired boy was one of the two of her rescuers. **_

"_**Hi. My name is Maito Guy!" **_

"_**M-my name is Sh-shizuka... Shizuka Phoenix." **_

"_**Miss Shizuka! I'll protect you as much as you need me," he said, grinning, "I promise!"  
"Why did you say that? And don't call me dat," the young girl said, cheeks flushed from the run, "You saved me. You get to call me Phoenix." **_

_**He beamed at her, apparently delighted by this. **_

"_**Are you.. Are you my friend, then?"  
At this, the little girl smiled widely, "Yeah!" **_

_**He hugged her, her new friend. She had never felt such a nice hug as his. It almost made up for the yucky thing she had seen in the alley... Just remembering it made her shudder unhappily. The boy was holding her awfully tight, she realized. Looking up, she could only scream in horror at what she saw. **_

* * *

_**Nightmare End  
**_

I sat bolt upright, waking myself up with a bite to the tongue. Wincing, I probed it gently for actual bloody places. I had been known to bite a hole in my own tongue before I woke up from the ensuing pain.

"Phoenix?"

I looked over and realized Guy had noticed. He stood, and made his way over to me. Softly, he spoke, "Was it a nightmare again?"

I nodded, my knees automatically coming up against my chest. He sat down next to me, and I was a little surprised when he put a large arm around me. Surprised, but more than I wanted to admit, I was comforted. He had always been my tower in times of weakness, I thought, allowing myself to lean against him a little. Knowing the kids were asleep and wouldn't twit me for it later helped. I took and released a deep breath, feeling his arm as I breathed.

Something about Guy was incredibly centering. Rubbing my cheek against his chest, I sighed softly. Hearing his heartbeat was a new experience for me... At least, it felt new. We had hugged and cuddled plenty when we were kids. Abruptly, the memory turned nightmare sprang back to mind. An involuntary whimper escaped me, and I looked up at Guy swiftly. Just to make sure.

There he was, looking a little puzzled, but otherwise normal. I sighed in relief, cuddling into his side. His arm instinctively tightened around my body, and I felt large fingers gently start to comb through my blood red hair.

"Do you need to talk about it?"

I nodded, finding the stroking soothing. Gulping, I gathered my wits to tell Guy properly about it. When I opened my mouth, however, nothing came out. A dry squeak was all I got after a few tries. Guy handed me his water canteen, and I grinned sheepishly. Taking a few careful sips, with Guy's arm still around me, I was able to talk again after a bit.

"I... It's awkward to talk about..."

Guy just waited patiently, black eyes on my brown ones. After a time, I looked away and burrowed my face into his chest. Most men would have stank after a day of hiking, but lucky for me, Guy barely broke a sweat today, especially because my kids had conked out so soon.

It made me feel rather ashamed of their endurance, despite the fact that Youko and Rose both had several blisters by the time we were done. Ayumu, strangely, was the last to get tired. She had started to flag near evening, about twilight, while Rose and Youko had started limping early afternoon.

"Phoenix..."

His voice was gentle and a little husky, snapping me out of my reverie anyway.

"R-right... It.. It was about when we first met, but at some point it got twisted... Twisted into something really bad," I hedged, hoping Guy would let me get away with it.

He didn't. A scolding look from him was all that it took to melt me.

"It was you... Only you were.. were.."

My voice was choking up, and I looked at Guy, pleading with him not to make me say it. It felt like if I said it, it would make it real. The look told me no mercy for tonight.

"You were dead! Okay?!"

I took a shaky breath, looking down at his chest instead of at his eyes. Without a word, he pulled me onto his lap. My cheeks heated, because now I was practically straddling Guy. He gathered my legs together and re arranged me until both of us were comfortable. I just KNEW I was blushing. Stupid, crazy hormones. I hadn't been between the sheets with a guy in a long time, but for it to crop up NOW, of all times... I shooed the idea out of my head in a panic. My cheeks were practically glowing. I just knew it.

"Phoenix... I promised I'd protect you. I don't intend to go for a long time yet."

"But- but a sh-shinobi never knows when his number is up," I protested in a half stage whisper, not wanting to wake the kids accidentally, "Not even you can live forever, Guy!"

"I'll live as long as I can, then. And protect you every step of the way."

I was stumped by the simple logic. The _from yourself and others _went without saying. He had already proved that he could protect me from others that day when we were three and four, respectively. But.. But why was I worth it to him?

_Get a grip, girl. You're in a panic because of that stupid nightmare. Just hug him and calm down, and then you can sleep and forget all about this mess by the morning. _I sighed, relieved I had gotten the shreds of my calm back around me.

"Guy... Can I..."

Thankfully he got it, even with my tongue-tied brain not functioning properly. His arms, like safety rails almost, encircled me, allowing me to lay within them. A soft, contented sigh escaped me as I snuggled into him.

He was always so warm...And safe. Always safe when he was near. My eyes closed of their own volition, not my brain's desire. My heart knew I was safe, and that, for once, was all that mattered.

As I slipped into dreamland, I thought I heard a soft, husky voice whisper, "I'll always be here, my love. Always."

* * *

**Hey, I updated! If anyone besides LeeRawks is reading this, please review... **

**What do you think of the sweet moments?**

**Okay, too tired to do much more questioning... Leave a review!  
**

**-June**


	6. Chapter 6 Pickup Problems

The Green Beast and the Hothead Princess

By: Phoenix Shizuka

Chapter Six: Pickup Problems

I stood on the pier with our teams and Guy. He was fidgeting, impatient and already very awake and raring to meet our assignment. At least Guy wasn't babbling with excitement like he did on a regular basis around Konoha. Lee was only slightly less awake, pacing from the end of the dock back to where we stood. Tenten looked cranky at being out of bed so early, but put up with it because she was likely already used to it. Neji, as usual, was stoic.

On the other hand, my students weren't so used to the waking up early.

Rose was pissed off looking, glaring at me frowsily and leaning against a pole. Her arms were folded in the "sulky" posture, and she had light bags that showed up unfortunately vivid under her pale skin. Her odd, fish-shaped bag (no doubt packed with her equipment, since she wore no hip or thigh pouch like **normal** shinobi) that she had brought with her mid-size pack banged against her hip as she fidgeted irritably. Rose, despite the practice of several early morning sessions, was NOT a morning person, obviously.

Ayumu looked to be nodding off where she stood. Her shirt was similar to Rose's, lacy and feminine, but white where Rose's was pink. I could have told Ayumu that these were horrible mission clothes, mostly because white would show stains extremely easily, but the ones she had worn at our first meeting were almost as big a mistake (heels weren't worth shit in battle, and a skirt would be showing the enemy what was none of their business). At least she wore sensible, durable jeans and well-made (if not standard issue) sandals. Occasionally, she would glance at Lee and look away, cheeks flushing slightly.

Then my eyes turned to Youko.

Who was, despite all my efforts, still asleep. Snoring like an idiot to boot. At least I had managed to get her awake long enough for her to be dressed decently in her usual outfit (an orange and green tank top, jeans, and green-painted shinobi sandals) and to make it to the pier. Shaking my head tiredly, I sighed and looked out. It had been three years since I was so close to the ocean.

A slight shudder ran through me. There was a reason that I disliked ocean towns. Besides being a fire jutsu specialist, anyways. As we had promised to never speak of that incident again, I don't dare recount it here.

"Why were we here so early if the ship hasn't come in?"

No surprise where that one came from.

"Rose, just don't. Whining won't make things better," Ayumu said placatingly. Rose growled, glaring off into the horizon.

_And the ship, by rights, should have arrived by now. According to the schedule given us by Lady Tsunade, anyways. _ Antsy as well but not willing to show it so easily, I shifted from foot to foot.

"Shouldn't we get something to eat? We missed breakfast..."

"That was your own fault for sleeping in-"

"But we walked till MIDNIGHT last night trying to get here, Sensei! And HOW many hours of sleep did we get?! Three! We got woken up at three in the damn morning!"

"A shinobi should be able to run on that amount of sleep during a mission, no questions asked," I snarled, immediately put in a shitty mood by both the early hour, the cranky kid and the factor of no breakfast for myself, "And don't you dare backtalk me again, gaki, or it's extra training AND dish scrubbing at Ichiraku's for you! And that means all of you!" I had added the last as an incentive for Ayumu to step in, but Ayumu looked like she was staying well out of the argument.

"Ramen?"

Hoo boy. Youko had woken up at the mention of Ichiraku's. She was looking about, trying to figure out who said it and where the food was. Rose looked like she was about to blow with the advent of Youko opening her eyes, and I was starting to get a throbbing pain in the region of my head. I was just not in the mood to deal with a pack of hungry, bratty, and just fucking irritating teenage girls at the moment.

I groaned mentally, and ordered, "Alright! Since you brought it up, Rosie-posie, **you** get to go and get the food! Anyone else want to go with her?"

Rose looked beyond stung at the nickname, but was prevented from saying anything by a glare from a rather surprising source. Ayumu Hyuuga grabbed her friend's arm and squeezed tightly. Rose scowled angrily at me, but didn't say anything.

After a bit of whining and much ordering, my team was sent off to get breakfast for those who hadn't managed to get it before we had left the inn we were staying at. Which was mostly me and my team, since I'd skipped breakfast in favor of getting my team up and awake. We had ended up lost twice, so the sun was up by the time we had gotten to the pier in the first place.

Guy had been right to get us up that early; what with my team's griping and reluctance to rise, it took us at least an hour to get on the journey in the first place. When we got lost, it took another thirty minutes to get on track again, and when the kids had gotten distracted by their respective vices (Tenten by a weapons stall, Youko by a ramen stand, etc.) it took another thirty minutes for Guy, Lee, Neji, and I to round them up. All in all, we got in about thirty minutes before the ship had been due to arrive. Guy had an uncanny knowledge of my team after only a week of knowing them personally.

Might have helped that I had been griping about them before hand, but... Ahhh. I was spacing out again. The blasted ship was supposed to have gotten here already.

But it hadn't arrived, and here we were two hours later. The pier we had been directed to was desolate, much too quiet for my taste. The kids had taken off about thirty minutes ago, but I wasn't too worried. Youko didn't get lost very easily. The other, older teenagers were waiting more patiently than my children had done. Neji seemed to be staring off into the water, Byakugan active. He must have been searching for the ship.

I felt a large hand on my shoulder, and identified it instantly. Without turning around, I lightly brushed my fingertips over his hand. He knew what I was asking without speaking. _You're worried too, huh? _

The gentle squeeze on my shoulder signaled _Not here. _I obeyed, wandering farther down the pier as if I was in thought, Guy trailing after me. When we reached the end of the pier, I plopped down, dangling my legs dangerously near the water. Guy gave a surprised snort upon seeing me doing this.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm NOT afraid of a little water," I grumped, fidgeting from side to side, "Now what is it?"  
"Neji-san is searching for the ship. Your team?"

"Youko doesn't get lost easily. Not even in places she's just found," I answered curtly.

He nodded, staying near me like a pillar of power in the background. I could feel him there, as he had always been since the day we first met.

Standing up, I brushed my butt off and turned to face the other way.

"There are three ships, different lengths from the harbor. Only one is being attacked by another ship."

I growled in exasperation, "Great, now we need to get out there..."

Both Guy and Lee took off immediately, easily running on the water. Neji and Tenten weren't far behind. Wincing, I prepared myself for a water fight as I readied the only vaguely familiar technique of walking on water. Sea water was a bit more tricky for me than fresh water. For certain reasons I don't want to discuss.

Biting my lip, I shoved away the usual dark flickers of memory and focused. Before long, I was racing atop the water, fixing to catch up with Guy and his team.

I took stock of the situation as I neared the ship. Guy's team was battling with what appeared to be a ninja team assigned to the attacking ship. Tenten was fighting a man with twin swords and a shock of white and red hair, who was also apparently irritating the hell out of her; Lee was (reluctantly it seemed) fighting with a megane, brunette girl who used only bare fists; and Neji... Neji was battling an extremely sturdily built blonde woman that looked to be an... Shit, she was an illusions specialist. I could see through the genjutsu fog she had created.

I couldn't help the kids because I was abruptly wrapped in what felt like a slimy tentacle.

I couldn't help it. I was damn **scared** of things roiling in that deep, nasty mass that some stupid people call fun. Said stupid people have obviously never been attacked by a Krakken summon when they were twelve before.

I lost my head and screeched crazily, ripping and tearing at the thing with bare hands in a mad frenzy to _getitoffgetitoffgetitoffgetitoff!_

Until I remembered.

_You're a kunoichi and a jounin too dammit, so pull it together! Use the Body Flare, if you put enough juice into it it works in water... or on slimy things... Dammit don't think about that... _

I made the hand signs rapidly, and my body was engulfed in scarlet flames. The tentacle let go with an agonized shriek from its owner. I flew up from the water (Body Flare gives the user flight abilities) and started firing Flower Blasts at every single tentacle that had exploded out of the water so damn suddenly after the other one had gone down.

I was wrapped up in fighting to the point where I barely noticed Lee dive into the water. I did notice, however, when a green blur wove in and out of the tentacles, taking them down as fast as they could come up. When I looked, the megane was in a heap on the deck of the ship, with a dazed, pained expression on her face and what looked like two snapped legs. That was when I leapt onto the beleagured ship, determined to look for the Princess we were supposed to be protecting.

Tearing through the halls of the ship, I heard a commotion and headed for it. A bellowed "Dynamic Entry!"and the thunderous sound of Guy's entrance assured me I wasn't far off. I sped in just as Guy pinned what looked like to be the bandit leader.

He was just a kid, though- barely eighteen, if that. I turned off the body jutsu as I took things in in seconds. The boy was built slender, no match bodily for Guy's superior Taijutsu. The knife he'd turned on the two girls in the corner was lying where it flew when Guy disarmed him. I winced as the boy let out a high pitched stream of what sounded like words in another language that raked at my ears. When he ended the chant with a roar that belied his size -choked off when Guy belatedly realized he might be summoning something- showing feline fangs, I realized what he'd been commanding.

"Guy! He's Tyger Tribe!"

Tyger Tribe were similar to the Inuzuka Clan. You hurt their pet or summon, they get panicky and ready to blab anything when pinned, or extremely bitey and more savage than ever. Of course, none of the Inuzuka clan would be as stupid as to get both themselves and their pet captured. They know their own weaknesses well. Very well, like any shinobi clan should.

Guy whirled just in time to fend off the massive white blur that had gotten between us. The larger than normal white tiger leapt back, eyes red and maw snarling. It dove for Guy again as the Tyger boy attempted an escape. I fired off a Phoenix Burst Stream- a long, blood colored stream of fire that acted like an extremely high power laser- striking the boy in the shoulder as I also threw rounds of kunai. The boy screamed as they hit home in several of his weak (but non vital) points, drawing the tiger's attention long enough for Guy to pin it down without too much trouble. The tiger raged and snarled, writhing, but it was no use in Guy's strong hold.

I leapt to the boy, who was trying frantically to scramble through a porthole. Yanking him back down to the steel floor of the ship was easy. Pinning his arm behind his back without too much trouble, I barked, "Who sent you?"

"No! Let me go! I'll never tell! Never," the boy shrieked hysterically, writhing to no effect in my grasp. I tightened my hold, lowering my head to bare my teeth at the boy where he could see out the corner of his eye. His orange amber eyes widened to the size of saucers.

I hissed in his ear, "Tell me or the tiger dies."

I glanced at Guy, and he obediently began to tighten the stranglehold he had on the tiger's throat and press down on the tiger's spine. It was clear (to me, not the kid, who watched with wide open eyes) he disliked the idea, but knew it was an information pumping technique that more often than not worked. The renewed pressure on the tiger's throat caused it to writhe once more, roaring and snapping at its fate of being captured by a human.

"STOPPIT! STOPPIT AND I'LL TELL!"

The boy seemed to be in physical pain along with the tiger. I signaled Guy to stop, and he did, but kept the remaining pressure on the tiger as an incentive to continue.

"Harmony... Harmony and Discord sent me. Af-after we take over the normal world, the shinobi world is next! The n-n-normals will make war on the beasts called shinobi!"

He had a manic look in his eyes as he continued, "Discord will rip apart this cursed world, and then Harmony shall restore it in her own image! And Leader... Leader will rule the world with both Harmony and Discord at his side-!"

"Y-you bastard! How dare you try to take me out! And by attacking my maid, too!"

My eyes swiveled to the speaker, a flashy-looking thirteen-fourteen year old child clothed in silken robes of many colors. There was another beside her, about the same age and looking equally terrified. This one wore the mousey brown robes of what I assumed was a lady-in-waiting or something, and had her straight brown hair in a once sleek chignon that was now sporting flyaway hairs everywhere. The other, however, had long, sparkling blonde hair that was down in long waves, nearly reaching her ass.

This was the one shaking a small fist at the crazed boy, glaring at him, "You dare attack the heir to the throne?! You'll pay for this! My army will hunt you down!"

"Pah! Like your army could find us," the boy sneered, "We are special forces. We will vanish into the night before-ghhhck!"

I had tightened my grip crossly, intending to put him out. He was a boy, and obviously very inept at assassinations. A guard troupe could deal with him as long as they kept an eye on the damn tiger.

And this guy and the girl in front of me were proving to be equally annoying. I tightened my grip to the point he would be knocked out in a few seconds, Guy mirroring me on the tiger. We had both decided the boy wasn't worth killing, despite what he'd tried to do.

A few seconds too late, I realized a chakra blast was coming at me from behind. I tried to dodge anyways and bring the boy around to take the brunt of it. As it turned out, we both got clipped. I hissed- it was a shot of acid, not chakra- because it felt like it was eating into my skin. That was why I hadn't sensed it till almost too late. Gritting my teeth, I shelved the pain and turned around to my opponent. Guy, however, got in front of me first.

"HEY! Whoever it is, it's mine, it attacked me," I argued angrily, trying to ignore the pain off the acid eating at my flesh. Whatever the person used was damn effective.

When the boy tried to wriggle loose, I clocked him one on the correct spot, which effectively knocked him out. What I should have done in the first place, admittedly.

"Get out. Take the civilians with you. I'll defeat them myself."

I growled at his audacity, "You know full well I can still fight! Don't be an ass-"

"PHOENIX."

I flinched very very slightly. Now that was a flashback. It had been years since he used that tone in front of me, much less at me. His eyes were firm and almost... Cold. Clinical. That was something I wasn't used to, but I was sure it was a relic of his ANBU days. Before then, Guy was almost never sharp with me...

I just stared right back at him, trying to show that I refused to be cowed by a man I knew trained for days and days to challenge his rival to the silliest things just to be beaten in a silly rock paper scissors match or something else equally goofy and then moped for all of five minutes afterward.

"You're injured. I'm the best candidate for keeping this opponent busy-"

He paused to block a round house and a side kick easily, apparently thrown by said person I couldn't see around his bulk. Growling in irritation but made compliant by THAT tone, I dropped the unconscious idiot boy and grabbed the scruffs of the children we were assigned to protect. I trusted that Guy could take care of them long enough for me to fork over the girls to his team, who honestly should have finished their opponents by now. As I leapt toward the door, easily lifting each girl (even the blonde, who was throwing one HELL of a hissy fit and not helping **AT FUCKING ALL** by kicking at my shins), Guy cleared a path for me as I realized who he was fighting.

It was a woman, with red and black hair, a filmy black and red dress that was annoyingly revealing of her ample assets, and what looked like a permanent rictus of a smile. She was spitting streams and bullets of acid at Guy, apparently her signature technique, interspersed with taijutsu that failed at every turn. I smiled as pride surged in me that Guy was dodging every acid bullet and stream fired at him.

Speeding out of the room, I ducked when acid seared through the wall next to me, and cursed when I realized the Acid Bitch had already stripped through parts of the hull. Heading upward, I exited the ship's belowdecks and leapt onto the water.

"Start getting the crew out! This is officially a rescue mission for now! Save everyone you can! I'll get these two to safety and guard the docks," I barked at

Guy's team, still battling the occasional tentacle, their opponents and the slippery substance they were on in the first place. Thankfully, they were more flexible than my kids and did as asked.

I caught a kunai or two in my shoulder as I sped over the water. Ignoring the injuries, I dashed to the edge of the water and unceremoniously plopped the kids in the sand above the tide. The blonde was screaming obscenities while the brunette was whimpering quietly. I realized she had a slender slice on the soft skin of her neck. The brunette would live, but I bet she'd stop whimpering if I bandaged it.

Silently, I tugged out field bandages and wrapped a strip or two around her neck in a business-like fashion, tying it neatly and not too tight, but tight enough. She finally shut up, which was a blessing to my nerves. The blonde, on the other hand, refused to shut up.

"What's going on? Why did you drag us out into this place and DUMP us on this sand?! Where are we-"

I interrupted her just as Youko hove into view.

"Shut up. I don't tolerate whiners."

Youko raced over, dropping the bags of breakfast-lucky for her it didn't break-, "What's going on, Mom? Wh-" she saw the acid burn, "What the FUCK Sensei?! We leave for maybe an hour or two and-"

"You shut up too. I don't have time to explain. Make sure nobody sneaks up on these two girls, okay?"

She froze, looking into my eyes as the other girls ran up as well, Ayumu holding Youko's bag. Rose had frozen instantly when she sensed the killing intent radiating from me. I growled, low and deep, "Youko, explain to your teammates. I'm going back to help the rest of them."

Taking off over the water without another word to my team, I realized I was beyond pissed. I needed a punching bag and bad. The fierce chakra that characterized my clan was clamoring to be let free from the prison of my aching body.

When I realized that the teenagers were still dealing with the tentacles of a far too fucking familiar creature that was rapidly surfacing now, I bellowed, "GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

I started rattling off hand signs, feeling the chakra building and building inside my system with a throbbing pulse that grew and grew with each second I held it in. Soon it was going to need an outlet, or I was gonna lose every last shred of control and there would be an explosion.

Either way, there would be blood and fire by the time I was done.

I took a deep breath, and let the chakra flow from my mouth with a resounding scream. This would be the Fire Shree, a secret technique of my clan. Fire blasted in a cone from my mouth, incinerating to ash the head of the far too familiar beast that had risen from the deep.

Keeping it up for a solid five minutes, I made sure the top was taken off that goddamn beast that had plagued my nightmares for far too long. The tentacles flopped around in their death throes as I staggered briefly, dizzied by the loss of so much chakra so fast. Even if the thing had mutated blood, it should be dead after I practically cut it's head off. Or burned it off, whatever. I wasn't in the mood to split hairs about killing.

I heard a distinctly female scream, "Oh, you beasts! You monsters! You slew Charlotte!"

I had a mad desire to laugh. So that thing's name... Was Charlotte? I was about at breaking point-both bodily and sanity wise, I think- when I turned to face my newest opponent. Problem was... I slipped.

Yes.

I'm a jounin who isn't too damn proficient in the art of walking on water after what felt like several hundred techniques, high and low level, have drained the damn chakra from my system.

It honestly didn't help that multiple tentacles of what looked like kelp sprouted from the sea surface the minute I was trying to turn and face my foe, blocking my view and enfolding me in a mess of the salty plant.

With a loud yell, I fell under the roiling waters.

* * *

**I'm evil, aren't I, to leave a cliff hanger like this? Anyways, review if you want a quick update! I'm working on chapter seven, and reviews get my tail in gear to write faster ^^ **

**Anyways. Wat do you think of Guy's sterness with Phoenix? Phoenix's issues with the water? Who made the kelp? Is it a help or a further obstacle? Are you mad at me for making this a cliffie update? What do you think of "Acid Bitch" and the other opponents they were fighting? Got any nicknames for the other opponents? What do they remind you of? What do you think of the Princess' manners at being rescued? Tell me all, please!  
**

**Leave a review-! **

**-June**


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